Ezekiel 42

Ezekiel 42:1-14

This chapter continues and concludes the measuring of this mystical temple, of which it is very hard to understand the architecture, and yet more hard to comprehend the mystical meaning. Here is, 1. A description of the chambers that were about the courts, their situation and structure, ver. 1—13, and the uses for which they were designed, ver. 13, 14. 2. A survey of the whole compass of ground, which was taken up with the house, and the courts belonging to it, ver. 15—20.

1. THEN he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north, and he brought me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was before the building, toward the north. 2. Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north-door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. 3. Over against the twenty cubits, which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three florets. 4. And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit, and their doors toward the north. 5. Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, 6. For they were in three florets, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was strained more than the lowest, and the middlemost from the ground. 7. And the wall that was without over against the chambers, towards the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits. 8. For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and 9, before the temple were an hundred cubits. 10. And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, 11. As one goeth into them from the utter court. 12. The chambers were in the thicketts of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building. 13. And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were towards the north, as long as they, and as broad as they, and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 14. And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south, was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entreth into them. 15. Then said he unto me, The north-chambers, and the south-chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; for the place is holy. 16. When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments, wherein they minister; for they are holy: and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.

We have here,

1. The chambers about the temple. Probably designed for the retirement of the holy worshippers, where they might be alone for prayer and meditation: they who would find comfort in public ordinances, must maintain communion with God in private. The chambers were many, for in the heavenly temple there are many mansions. They had galleries before them, where they who lodged there might meet and converse together about the things of God; the great privilege, duty, and delight of God’s people.

2. These chambers, many of them at least, were appropriated for the use of the priests; and were the places where they deposited the holy things, and their sacred vestments. They who have the charge of the sanctuary must reside upon the feet, and God hath made a provision for them, that they might wait on him without distraction.

3. Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. 16. He measured the east side with the measuring-reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring-reed round about. 17. He measured the north-side five hundred reeds, with the measuring-reed round about. 18. He measured the south-side five hundred reeds, with the measuring-reed. 19. He turned about to the west-side, and measured five hundred reeds, with the measuring-reed. 20. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

Ezekiel 42:15-20

The ground on which this temple and its courts stood, is computed to be about eight miles in circumference; intimating the vast extent of the church of Christ in the times of the gospel, and particularly when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in. A wall of separation divided the sanctuary from the profane place, to signify the present exclusion of all those from the blessings and benefits of Christ’s church and kingdom, who continue unhumbled in their sins; and to presfigure the eternal separation of the world that loth in wickedness, from the presence of God in glory.